Hi,I got two baby RES last Sunday ( 8/28) and one of them still hasn't eaten anything as of today (9/6). They both are about 1 inch shell length. I have them in a tank that is 20 inch long with about 5 inches deep water. They have two basking areas (but so far prefer to be together on one) and some trees they like to hide/rest in and one lamp with a 75 watt Zilla day blue light and one with a Zilla 13 watt fluorescent UVB coil bulb. I was concerned about the water temperature so I got a thermometer and it has been between 72-77 degrees F. Today I added a water heater and set it to 80 F since I read hatchlings prefer it a little warmer.

For feeding I remove them to a smaller tank and have offered zoo med hatchling formula pellets, ReptoMin Baby, ReptoTreat grammarus dried shrimp, dried blood worms and flukes medley treat that includes shrimp, crickets and meal worms. Bull took a few days to start eating and now eats anything. Hermie however hasn't eaten anything! I've tried feeding Hermie alone and with Bull but it hasn't made any difference. I do the feeding daily and leave them in the feeding tank for up to an hour and always give Hermie at least 30 mins alone since Hermie seems more timid.

Any ideas of what else I can try or what might be causing this? How long could Hermie go without eating before it is dangerous?Thanks!Kat (worried new turtle mommy)

Thanks for the reply. Hermie is tiny -about an inch long. He does not have egg tooth or yolk sac nor did he when I got him. I've tried feeding him in the regular tank as well but shows no interest and once I put Bull back in he eats all the food anyway.

Thanks! Both Hermie and Bull are eating now in the small feeding tank or a treat in the main tank! Both have eaten pellets but I've also been offering a ton of treats to entice so am now looking for a regular schedule/routine of feeding. I've been reading a lot on the site but the quantities confuse me as do the directions on the bottles. Is there a guide that spells out quantities for hatchlings (1 inch shell length) to follow? Some say give everything for an hour and others warn about over feeding.....so I'm confused about the optimal method.

The bottles for pellets and treats (which I'm still giving to entice) are vague- like how much they will consume in 10 min or an hour which is everything and anything for Bull and nothing or little for Hermie. Also feeding the amount of their head is odd if they eat 1 cricket! They refuse the Reptomin Baby Pellets but will eat the zoo med hatchling formula which are much smaller round balls so would you recommend closer to 5 which would be approximately the size of the Reptomin Baby sticks that are larger?

Bull is eating pellets and everything; do I have to worry about over feeding this young or keep providing variety to entice? Hermie ate a bit but then will go days with no interest. I added minnows for live prey but so far they haven't caught onto catching. There are also edible plants and red leaf lettuce in there but doesn't look like any bites. Any other live prey you'd suggest? Bull will eat out of my hands but Hermie will not.

I'll try soaking the pellets in tuna water or shrimp goo too. For the Pedialyte how much do u use and do u then serve in a larger tank or the small- I'm afraid in the larder he won't even know.

I saw a product that was an appetite stimulator liquid that u eye dropper into their mouth but I'm concerned since Hermie is small and AfraidAnything use you can think of to try?

The head amount is for say their main portion of protein, like pellets. I'd also reduce that amount if they are eating... hatchlings should get around 2/3 that amount. Don't go by that time reference, I think that is a terrible way to measure food.

Have you tried boiled white chicken meat?

Pedialyte is 1:1 with water. Use a small as a container as possible so you don't waste it, but make sure to supervise your turtle when he's in there the entire time.